Trends in the Orthopaedic Surgery Fellowship Match 2013 to 2017

This study describes trends in the postgraduate orthopaedic surgery fellowship match from 2013 to 2017.

We determined the numbers of applicants and positions in Adult Reconstruction/Oncology, Foot and Ankle, Pediatrics, Shoulder and Elbow, Spine, Sports Medicine, and Trauma. We also defined the odds of matching in each subspecialty. We determined the applicant's odds of matching in their first or second choice by year and specialty. We also determined the number of applications made by applicants in each subspecialty. Data were obtained from the San Francisco Match.

In 2017, Adult Reconstruction/Oncology was the most selective, with a 68% match rate in 2017, whereas Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery had a 93% chance of matching. The odds of matching in one's first (14% to 41%) or second (8% to 16%) choice was low in the study period. The average range of applications made by applicants varied from 18 to 28 applications, depending on year and specialty. Sports applicants made significantly more mean number of applications than all specialties (range +5 to 9.8 applications; P < 7.59 × 10^-7 to 0.011).

The numbers of positions and odds of matching in postgraduate orthopaedic surgery fellowships are variable by year and subspecialty. Applicants need to consider their entire match list carefully due to low odds of matching in their first or second choice. These trends are valuable to applicants and training programs when selecting the numbers of applications and interviews for a successful match.